Third Year

ʿUlūm al-Qurʾān (Quranic Sciences)

The main purpose of the Qurʾān’s revelation was mankind’s guidance. In the process of this trip to guidance, the Qurʾān delineates many scientific disciplines that the earliest scholars took heed of. These disciplines are known as ʿUlūm al-Qurʾān. The course at hand provides the students with a thorough command of these disciplines, as well as giving them their first glimpses at the phenomenon known as Orientalism, and how, if at all, it has affected our study of the Qurʾān.

The objectives of this course are to:

• impart to students a comprehension of the Quranic sciences.
• understand the Qurʾān, how it was revealed and preserved by the Prophet Muḥammad (Peace be upon Him), the Companions (Allah be pleased with them) and the succeeding generations.
• To discover challenges and allegations thrown at the Qurʾān, and provide answers to those challenges.

Course Material

Tafsīr (Quranic Exegesis)

Tafsīr al-Jalālayn is studied to facilitate the students’ first steps into the world of exegesis. This is probably the most widely acclaimed exegetical work in the Islamic world, due in no small part to its succinct, lucid style. Covering selected portions of this handbook serves as a catalyst for further exploration into the intricacies of the Quran, a gift that keeps on giving.

Course Material

ʿUlūm al-Ḥadīth (Ḥadīth Sciences)

With a mostly skeletal overview of Ḥadīth Methodology (Muṣṭalaḥ al-Ḥadīth) brought over from the second year, an in-depth review of this more detailed contemporary work further serves to develop the students of ḥadīth in the third year. This work provides the students an overview of the gradual maturation of ḥadīth and its related sciences, as well as a thorough analysis of the primary concepts thereof.

The objectives of this course are to:

• have an overview of ḥadīth’s development and preservation from its inception to the present.
• master the ḥadīth nomenclatures developed by ḥadīth scholars and critics.
• attain knowledge critical to initiate the avid ḥadīth student into this fundamental science of Sharī‘ah.

Course Material

Ḥadīth

The students’ first introduction to the primary sources of ḥadīth comes in the form of a detailed study into one of the six canonical compilations (al-Ṣiḥāḥ al-Sittah). The reading of this work provides an opportunity for the students to be exposed, practically, to concepts they only theoretically understood previously from ‘Ulūm al-Ḥadīth.
Another key aspect is that the students experience first-hand the chains of transmission (isnād), the transmitters (ruwāt) of ḥadīth, and the art of narrator criticism (al-Jarḥ wa al-Ta‘dīl). Additionally, the students are equipped to access works of biography (Tārīkh al-Rijāl), through the world-renowned, Taqrīb al-Tahdhīb, penned by the erudite ḥadīth scholar (muḥaddith), Ibn Ḥajar al-‘Asqalānī. This study format lays the foundation for a well-rounded muḥaddith, one capable of independently scrutinizing both the chain of transmission (sanad), and textual content (matn) of a ḥadīth.

The objectives of this course are to:

• institute the practice of reading the primary sources of ḥadīth.
• have the students solidify their theoretical knowledge by bringing it into play.
• familiarise the students with the major transmitters of ḥadīth.
• understand how the ḥadīth critics (nuqqād) reached their respective conclusions in either acceptance or rejection of ḥadīth.
• introduce the students to the biographical works extant in the corpus of ‘Ulūm al-Ḥadīth.

Course Material

Uṣūl al-Fiqh (Islamic Legal Theory)

This course primarily focuses on enlightening the students as to the process of deriving laws from their appropriate sources. The material selected provides students with a well-rounded grasp of Uṣūl al-Fiqh. The course, in tandem with the instructor’s guidance, concentrates on the essential principles of the subject, providing unique and unprecedented examples of laws derived using those very principles. The course will also include a historical study of the subject, especially the points of departure for various schools thereof.

The sole objective of this course is to provide the students with sufficient theoretical knowledge, along with a practical command of the science to better navigate and appreciate the workings of Fiqh.

Course Material

Fiqh (Substantive Islamic Law)

Our institute prides itself on its dedication to preserving the Shāfiʿī legacy. This work, the authors’ magnum opus, is to be taught over three years, providing the students with an excellent vantage point from which to study the madhhab, telling the story of its evolution, from inception to crystallization. As part of the study, students are imbued with biographical information about our scholars: their lives, works, pupils, and teachers, where their cogs fit within the growing machine that is the madhhab, in addition to the requisites for issuing legal counsel (fatwā). We aim to cover as much of the book as is required to nurture a juristic instinct within the students. In this way, they are amply equipped to deal with legal problems using the framework of the Shāfiʿī madhhab.

The objectives of this course are to:

• build the students’ understanding toward the evolution and inner workings of the Shāfiʿī school of thought.
• provide them with the necessary tools that help them navigate the classical works of the school.
• equip them with the skills to properly digest and contextualise modern-day issues that require an Islamic solution.

Course Material